International ag journalists get look at new technology--Texas style

Agricultural companies showcased an array of new products and services before a large gathering at the Agricultural Media Summit in Fort Worth, Texas, this week. This year's conference, held in conjunction with the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress, drew more than 700 attendees from 28 nations. Companies exhibiting at the event's InfoExpo gave journalists updates and previews of new offerings for the shop, field, office and barn. A few highlights of the offerings included:

Mark Core, Vermeer, told Agriculture Online that the company is sold out of its new corn cob collector. The pull-behind machine has been popular with both cattle feeders and growers supplying the ethanol industry, Core said. “It’s already a proven machine that can go out and efficiently collect cobs,” he said. The cobs vary in value of $70 to $100 per ton in replacing roughage in a livestock ration, Core said. Growers of cobs for ethanol can be eligible for government subsidies for two years, he added.

Fodder Solutions, an Australian company that has developed hydroponic technology for feeding livestock, announced its entry into the U.S. markets. The system features a hydroponic growing room for sprouting grains and legume seeds for highly nutritious feeds in six days. Ron Doore, Cut Bank, Montana, the first American to use the system, says his T12 model produces 88 pounds of feed a day and is expecting about 15 tons annually. “It allows farmers to grow a consistently high-quality product regardless of weather conditions and at a considerably lower cost than alternative feeds,” Doore says.

The Conservation Technology Center (CTIC) is touting its new Livestock Waste Management Information Center at www.lwmtech.org. The site contains a “treasure trove” of information for agricultural journalists and farmers, according to Christa Jones, CTIC program director. The site houses information on everything from online nutrient calculators to videos on safe handling practices. The site also includes farmer success stories from around the Midwest, she says.

A new inoculant for soybeans and potentially a number of field crops was the center of attention at the Becker Underwood booth. Charlie Hale, a representative of the company, showed recent photographs taken at farms demonstrating the yield boost of the new Vault HP product. The company’s currently available product, Vault LVL, stimulates increased plant rooting and nodulation on the roots, bringing a 2.5 bu/ac yield increase and a 200 to 300 percent return on investment, Hale says.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., has launched www.TruthAboutRhino.com about their Rhino Side-by-Side vehicles to combat a recent flurry of negative information targeting the vehicle and to encourage Rhino customers and the off-road industry to show their support for the SxS segment. “With TruthAboutRhino.com, Yamaha has created a home for accurate information about our company and the Rhino product line, and we’re encouraging our customers and the industry to show their support,” said Steve Nessl, Marketing Manager for Yamaha’s ATV & SxS Group.